In the last stretch of a half-marathon in Beijing, Chinese athlete He Jie was falling behind when the three East African runners apparently slowed down, allowing him to win.
The incident, showcasing unsportsmanlike conduct or strategic facilitation, caused an uproar on social media, questioning the authenticity and fairness of the competition.
The situation led to criticism from Chinese news outlets, with China Daily describing the event as a mockery that disrespected the integrity sports are supposed to uphold.
The involvement of a Chinese sports brand, Xtep, in sponsoring all athletes raised further suspicions and led to an investigation by the event's organizer and sports authorities.
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]